Private Sydney Columnist

By all appearances Kyle Sandilands isn't a man in need of a free lunch.

Zipping about town in his sparkling new Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe, worth about $1 million and complete with fairy lights in the ceiling, Sandilands caused his ''censors'' palpitations when he was talking on air with his mentor, John ''Golden Tonsils'' Laws, about his lunching habits.

Dropping the name of one Chinese restaurant five times during the 12-minute interlude, Sandilands admitted he had not paid for his recent lunch there as he had dined with the owner.

As for another pasta and schnitzel joint he favours in Woolloomoolloo, where the Roller is parked out the front almost daily, he admitted he ''never pays''. Warning lights began to flash, censors reminding Sandilands his comments could be perceived as commercial arrangements which had not been disclosed, which in the post cash-for-comment era is a big no-no, not to mention the use of lie detectors and making wise cracks about concentration camps.

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Bizarrely, cash-for-comment star Laws was almost mute, reassuring listeners that he and ''the Princess'' always pay their way.

When PS called Sandilands to learn a little more, his manager responded that he would not be talking about it as ''you never write anything nice about him''.

Says who?

No politics, just our big day, says Symond

Gay marriage is on the political agenda, but for Aussie Home Loans heir Stephen Symond and his soon-to-be husband Ed Smith, it's more about making a public affirmation about their relationship than a political statement.

On Saturday night the couple will host what they are describing as their wedding, with more than 200 family and friends descending on millionaire John Symond's $60 million Point Piper mansion to see the couple ''tie the knot''.

Having told friends it will be a ''very theatrical evening'', groom Symond told PS he was ''very excited about it all, but really this is not about making a political statement. However, in saying that, if we can inspire other people in a positive way, then that is a good outcome,'' he said.

Guests have been told to adhere to a strict dress code: smart dinner suits for the men and ''floor length'' evening gowns for the ladies.

The couple are also respecting time honoured traditions, opting not to spend the night before the wedding under the same roof. Symond was aboard a luxury superyacht on Sydney harbour last night with his groomsmen. Smith was with his own party.

The evening is also expected to be the first public outing for another pair of lovebirds: Symond senior and his new girlfriend Amber Keating, the ex-wife of Patrick Keating, the son of the former Labor prime minister Paul Keating.

However, tonight is all about the boys, who have been planning their big night for months, right down to their two wedding gift registries, one at David Jones and the other at Hermes.

There were still a few items left on the registries when PS checked, including a Christofle silver champagne cooler and stand worth $4000.

TV tantrums as celebrities clash

Celebrity Apprentice insiders say you could almost here the other contestants chanting: ''fight, fight, fight!'' when Stephanie Rice (pictured) and publicist Roxy Jacenko went head-to-head during taping of the show last week.

But Rice had plenty of support in her corner, in the form of Rob ''Millsy'' Mills (pictured), the cabaret star famous for a one night stand with Paris Hilton many moons ago.

Millsy and Rice have struck up quite a cosy relationship on the show, which has no doubt provided a welcome distraction for the contestants who have been putting in 14-hour days, including schlepping up and down Pitt Street Mall flogging Tim Tams.

PS hears tempers reached boiling point during one challenge, with Jacenko threatening to walk off the show, telling producers about Rice:

''I can't stand that [insert expletive here] any more!'' Jacenko has since said: ''I don't know that we will be exchanging numbers post the Celebrity Apprentice!''

Apparently the feeling is mutual. Rice insists it was Jacenko who caused the problem, telling co-stars she had been the victim of ''back-stabbing''. One contestant told PS: ''The thing is, it has all been caught on tape, so the producers are going to have a field day with this.''

While Channel Nine's publicity department is no doubt enjoying all the drama, PS hears the situation devolved to such an extent that some footage was simply unusable.

As for Jacenko, there has been no sign of her young baby daughter, Pixie-Rose, on the set, despite the show taking up such a huge amount of time. Jacenko, who was back at work within hours of giving birth, and shocked girlfriends by saying she was too busy to breastfeed, has told her Celebrity Apprentice co-stars she simply goes home and wakes her bub up to spend a few minutes of ''quality time''. Pixie-Rose's father is the controversial stockbroker Oliver Curtis, who is facing insider trading charges.

Backroom Bar settles stoush

One of the favoured late night haunts of Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim, co-founded by his proteges Dave Freeman (son of underworld figure George Freeman) and Raul Gonzales, has landed in strife with the music industry.

An application to wind up the business of Kings Cross's Backroom Bar has been made in the Supreme Court by the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia, a national, non-government, non-profit organisation that represents the interests of record companies and Australian recording artists for which venues must pay a licensing fee to play their music.

However according to management at Backroom Bar, the venue has reached an undisclosed settlement with PPCA, assuring PS it will be business as usual, though the matter is listed to appear in the Supreme Court list early next month.

The likes of visiting American super-rapper Snoop Dogg have used Backroom Bar as their own private party venue while in Sydney.

The last time Snoop Dogg was in Sydney Ibrahim was on hand to personally greet the rapper at the rear entrance of the bar, which he is rumoured to have an interest in but does not appear listed on any official documents.

SNAP DECISION

Not everyone is buying the line about controversial photos of a bikini-clad pregnant Duchess of Cambridge, which Woman's Day paid up to $150,000 for, were taken by a holidaymaker, rather than a long-lensed paparazzo. For starters, there are 39 images in the set, which has generated international media sales of about $700,000, suggesting the holidaymaker was more than a little obsessed with the subject.

SNEAK LEAK

PS hears the German media mogul Yvonne Bauer is on the warpath at the Park Street offices of her recently acquired magazine stable following a leak about Grazia magazine being axed. Fingers are being pointed left, right and centre inside the Tower of Bauer, formerly known as Kerry Packer's Tower of Power, with some seriously big publishing names suspected as the culprits behind the tittle tattle which forced the publishing giant to confess. There have even been claims of ''pillow talk'', which just goes to show how far some reporters will go (kissy, kissy).

TEE FOR TWO

Golf nut Kerri-Anne Kennerley is having the time of her life on the fairway, this week thrust into the arms of Dannii Minogue's former partner and father of her baby boy, Ethan, the rugby star turned model Kris Smith. The pair teamed up to promote the Women's Australian Open Pro Am day at Royal Canberra which is running until tomorrow. In the not too distant future, KAK will be teaming up with another one of her heroes, golfing great Jack Nicklaus. PS hears KAK will host a Q&A session with the Golden Bear, who is due in Sydney in a few weeks.

SUCH A DRAG

The much anticipated television series based on the life and times of Australia's first transsexual showgirl, Carlotta, has hit a wall. PS revealed two years ago FremantleMedia wanted actor Jessica Marais for the lead role, however this week, crew members retained on the project were told it had been shelved, indefinitely. Fremantle bought the film rights to two biographies written about Carlotta: James Cockington's 1994 book He Did It Her Way and Prue MacSween's 2007 book I'm Not That Kind of Girl. Carlotta was also retained as an adviser, overseeing hair, make-up and clothes. Carlotta's story is indeed a rich one, a drag queen working as a Kings Cross showgirl working for Sydney's ''Mr Sin'', the late underworld figure Abe Saffron, and undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 1972.